There are no words. O.K. maybe there are a few words. Amazing. Rich. Decadent, to name a few. When I was out in California visiting my parents for New Year’s my Mom and I went to a wine bar near her house. It’s a little French place called Barona Wine Bar. If you find yourself in San Clemente you have to check them out. They are tucked away in a shopping plaza and they have the yummiest quiche and flourless chocolate cake. The rest of the food looks pretty yummy too, but that was all I tried on my trip.
The atmosphere is so laid back. It’s like a little neighborhood hangout. They were so friendly and we stayed for quite a few hours just hanging out. You know a place is good when other restaurant owners come for dinner on their days off. We quickly became friends with the couple next to us at the bar having dinner. (This DOES happen a lot with my Mom who has never met a stranger and is friends with EVERYONE she meets.) 🙂 They turned out to be the owners of The Hobbit in Orange.
It’s a super cute restaurant that’s more of a dining experience. I haven’t had a chance to go yet but it sounds so fun. Each part of your meal is an Act (like in a play)! When my meal is good enough to have acts, I’m in! They’ve had the restaurant for 40 years. I can’t wait to check it out sometime.
Anyway…. after my visit to Barona I wanted to learn how to make a flourless chocolate cake. It’s so good and it was much easier than I anticipated. When you taste it you’ll think it’s the fanciest dessert that you’ve every tried. That, and you’ll wonder how you managed to wake up everyday before you tried it, but whatever. 🙂 It turns out it’s not too difficult and worth the overnight wait. This isn’t the recipe from Barona so you’ll still have to head in and check them out if you can but if not. Make this. Make it today and thank me tomorrow!
Ingredients
Flourless Chocolate Cake
- 1/2 c water
- 2 tbsp brewed strong coffee
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 c sugar
- 2 1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 c unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 6 eggs
Homemade Caramel Sauce
- 1 c brown sugar tightly packed
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- preheat oven to 300 degrees
- grease a 10" spring form cake pan
- wrap the bottom of the pan is LOTS of foil to prevent water from seeping in as it cooks
- place a saucepan over med heat and combine water, coffee, sugar and salt
- stir until sugar and salt are dissolved then set aside
- melt the chocolate in either a microwave or double boiler
- add chocolate to the large bowl of a stand mixer or use an electric mixer
- beat chocolate and slowly add the butter one piece at a time while beating with mixer
- once all butter is added slowly add the water/coffee mixture
- beat in eggs one at a time
- pour the chocolate mixture into the greased cake pan
- place cake pan into a larger roasting pan
- pour boiling water up the sides of the pan, about half way up
- place in the oven an bake for 45 min.
- remove from heat and chill in the fridge overnight
- before serving, dip bottom of pan in warm water (with foil still in tact)
- remove sides of pan and with a sharp knife or carefully separate bottom of cake from cake pan
- drizzle plate with caramel sauce
- lay piece of cake on top and drizzle with more caramel sauce
- (can also dust cake with powdered sugar to decorate)
Homemade Caramel Sauce
- combine brown sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan over med heat
- stir for 5 min then remove from heat and add the vanilla and salt
- add back onto the heat and cook an additional 1-2 min
- remove from heat and pour into a heat proof container
- store in the fridge
